Flying with Scuba Gear

[nagel]

I'm sure this is a standard post, but I do have some specific questions.

Next month, I will be taking my first trip to Mexico. I'm planning on taking my gear (minus weights and tank). When we were setting this trip up, the travel agent asked if I was bringing my equipment and said something about setting this up so it can be stowed in a special compartment. What I think she told me is that I can have the standard 2 bags checked plus my gear bag. Does this sound correct? Yes, I need to follow up with the agent.

At first, my plan was to carry my reg set with me as a carry on, but now I'm hearing that if it has a compass I can't do this because it has "liquid" in it and it will have to be checked. Does this sound correct?

While we are on the subject, what is the best way to travel with your equipment? I have a mesh bag, but sure I'm going to have something that is more rigid.

Any advice for a newbie would be great.

S. Nagel

 

[RICHinNC]

There are lots of posts on this subject. A search will give you some info and change the key words of your search to get the most.

There is a thread out there that talks about TSA and the compass issue. So far, it appears that no one is having a problem there. How lucky do you feel punk??? (sorry...bad Dirty Harry imitation)

I just came back from Barbados and I just popped the compass out and put it in a pair of socks in my checked luggage. Better safe than sorry.

As carry on, I have a bag that meets the take on size that will hold my bp and wing, masks, computers and camera. In a back pack I put some swim trunks, t-shirts and my regs. The only thing I actually put in check in luggage are my fins, suits and misc stuff. ALL the important....expensive....stuff goes on board with me.

Good luck.

 

[Diver Dennis]

Hi Nagel. I'm diving here in Asia for a few months and I've found that the best way for me to lug all my gear around is in an expandable hard sided suitcase. All my gear and camera housing goes in there and I just carry on my strobes and camera equipment, laptop and dive computers.

Proper packing, wrapping your regs in your wetsuit for example can assure safe transport. I don't know about your airline but the usual limit is 2 checked bags out of North America. In Asia, it is usually one checked bag per person with a 20kg limit. I think it is the same for Europe and Australia.

 

[Carribeandiver]

I always stow my computer with compass in my reg bag and carry it on. It probably would not be advisable to store your equipment in a mesh bag. A good duffle will suffice but be sure you can secure all zippers with locks.
Also, the only lock you can be safe with is a PSA lock. Any other stands the risk of being cut off.

 

[Daveo957]

regs computer and cameras carry on, everythings else check in , Carry on, dive bag and clothing bag

 

[Buoyant1]

regs computer and cameras carry on, everythings else check in , Carry on, dive bag and clothing bag

Yup, same here.

I have shipped stuff to a mailboxes etc. (aka UPS store) or a friends house when he still lived in Key West. but the few times I've schlepped, that's how I did it!

All my gear fits nicely into a standard rolling suitcase, and stays JUST below 50 lbs!

btw...what's the deal with the compass?? TSA doesn't like the itty bitty amount of liquid in it?:shakehead

 

[herman]

I carry on everything expensive-Reg/comp/camera. The rest I put in the suitcase with my cloths. I don't tell the airline whats in the suitcases, its none of their business and the TSA could care less. So far I have not had any problems with the compasses but it is prob easier to just pop them out and put them in the checked bags. I don't recommend any kind of case or bag that says "scuba gear...steal me", reg old suitcases are fine.

 

[alan_lee]

Hmm.. am pretty cavalier about my equipment when I fly (then again, my stuff's either hand-me-downs or the entry level stuff ). I actually check in my mesh bag but without my regs, except for the one time when my carry on was way too stuffed and I packed it in my reg bad, which is wrapped with my wetsuit, which in turn in nestled within my BCD. Stuff like dive comp, sits in my carry on. Oh, my experience so far is limited to Asia.

 

[Damselfish]

as far as "standard 2 bags checked plus my gear bag" I'd verify that. There is the occasional airline that has words someplace in their rules that they'll allow an extra bag for scuba or other specific sports equipment, abut they probably won't. And lots that have rules implying they'll charge extra for gear even if it's not an extra bag, and they won't do that either - just don't tell them.

I don't know that you really want 3 checked bags per person anyway. Better to find a way to travel lighter than slogging so much stuff through airports.

Definitely don't check a mesh bag of anything.

 

[CoyKoi]

I'm the one who had the compass issue a couple of months ago -- right after the first new really strict TSA "no-liquid" regulations came out. I've since made several trips on the airlines with my compass, computer, reg set as carry on. No problem whatsoever. Its become a non-issue.

I do as Bouyant1 suggests: reg/computer/camera (all the really expensive stuff) as a carry on in one 21" suitcase. You are allowed 3 pieces of luggage and 1 personal item, such as a backpack or laptop. You can only check 2 bags, the 3rd (containing the reg etc.) you carry on. The rest in 2 rolling suitcases (small one for clothes, big one for dive gear). Like Bouyant1 said, limit your checked bags to under 50lbs. If you're taking underwater lights, leave the batteries at your resort instead of taking them home. That will save you some weight to compensate for your heavier-than-normal not-quite-dry dive gear. Batteries are very expensive abroad. The resorts will appreciate your gift of gently-used batteries.

Have a great trip and dive safely!